The kids are all right!

fosters.com

Writer

Posted Dec. 6, 2012 at 3:15 AM

Posted Dec. 6, 2012 at 3:15 AM

News outlets regularly carry stories and information on local crimes and offences of varying severity, and it must be said that a disproportionate number of these antisocial deeds, particularly those of a petty nature — vandalism, theft and disorderly conduct, for example — are perpetrated by young people.

These items that community-minded residents wish to be apprised of, might skew their view of this younger demographic if this were all that readers, listeners and viewers were able to glean about the activities of teens and people in their early 20s.

Fortunately, newspapers, especially, are also the bearers of much positive news, and when it comes to this type of pleasing or even heartwarming coverage, young people feature very strongly. Every week in the Rochester Times, for example, there are at least two pages packed with achievements of school athletes from across the area, as well as those youngsters — thousands of them, engaging in sports at facilities like Roger Allen Ball Park or Farmington’s 500 Boys and Girls Club.

This newspaper, too, as it has for many years, devotes pages, each week, to school activities from throughout the area — most of it kindly supplied by teachers, school secretaries or the students themselves — and — whenever there is a school concert or special events to be photographed, we like to be on the spot with a camera.

At this time of year, though, we are even more struck by the out-of-proportion contributions that local young are making to their communities. The kids we encountered last weekend are a great example, and we will be running photographs of their activities throughout the month of December, in the knowledge that many other young folk are plugging away in their groups and organizations, relatively unsung, but certainly appreciated.

Last Saturday morning over in Milton, a dozen members of Boy Scout Pack 155 were braving the cold, and waving signs reminding passing motorists about their pancake breakfast. Their dedication — and that of their leaders — was certainly rewarded with a bumper crowd! (It was good to see State Rep-elect John Mullen made it down from Middleton to support the Cubs.)

That night, over in Farmington, youngsters were in the lead again, with Henry Wilson Memorial Band, now able to play easily recognizable carols, the focal point of the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. (Thank you, music director Sarah DePorter, and the recently formed Arts Boosters.)

On Sunday, the Rochester Holiday Parade was a veritable sea of young faces, with marching bands, dance school members, school floats, Girl and Boy Scouts, cheerleaders, football players and church groups. Indeed, even in the Commercial Division, we can’t recall a float that didn’t have youngsters on board, and their enthusiastic participation is what makes the parade so enjoyable.

That same late afternoon, back in Milton, small angelic faces were in Veterans’ Park singing Christmas carols before the town’s season lights were ceremoniously switch on, (and Mr. Mullen made that event, too.)

On a more individual level, last week, we ran a feature story on Eamon Bisbee, a Rochester man just out of his teens, who recently went through the process of donating his bone marrow, which was matched up with a seriously ill recipient, whose life he consequently saved.

And this week, we feature another Rochester resident — this time a young woman who is hoping to head off to Madagascar early in 2013 to further her college studies of wildlife protection.

All things considered, we think that this part of the United States, at least, is going to be in safe hands when it comes time for the up and coming generation to take over the reins.

To quote the movie, and the Who decades before that, “The kids are all right!”